NANAIMO – Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O’Regan Jr, announced a $200,000 investment to install four electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers at the Nanaimo Airport to encourage the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by British Columbians as part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to building a clean energy future.
Dave Devana
“We take pride in being pro-active with our environmental stewardship, and we are always looking to enhance our great customer service. These EV stations serve both strategic objectives. The EV stations will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while enabling us to embrace sustainability. We appreciate the support of Natural Resources Canada and the BC government to increase the EV fast-charging infrastructure along the Island’s most travelled highway,” said Dave Devana, President and CEO of the Nanaimo Airport.
The EV chargers, funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative, are now available for public use and support the government’s goal to have 100 percent of passenger vehicle sales being ZEV by 2040 by giving Canadians more green options on their roads to get to where they need to go.
The Government of British Columbia, through the CleanBC Go Electric Program, and the Nanaimo Airport also each contributed $100,000 to this initiative, bringing the total project cost to $400,000.
The Government of Canada has provided over $600 million to help make EVs more affordable and infrastructure more readily available. This includes support for the establishment of a coast-to-coast network of fast chargers, as well as charging in more localized areas, such as retail stores, apartment buildings, on-street and workplaces. This investment also includes establishing natural gas refuelling stations along key freight corridors and hydrogen stations in metropolitan centres.
The infrastructure resulting from these investments will ensure that people can drive and charge their vehicles across Canada. Funding will also support the demonstration of next-generation charging technologies as well as the development of enabling codes and standards. To make these vehicles more affordable, the Government is providing incentives of up to $5,000 for Canadian consumers to buy EVs and full tax write-offs for businesses purchasing them.
These investments will be complemented by commitments included in the recent Fall Economic Statement and Canada’s strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, which proposes to further accelerate zero-emission vehicle uptake by providing an additional $150 million, starting in 2021–22, for ZEV infrastructure and an additional $287 million in funding for vehicle purchase incentives that will make ZEVs more affordable for Canadians.
